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Watched a program about last night. Lots of nips and women justifying their choices. Seems teenagers aren't fans of breastfeeding, especially one who said she didn't want to have her boobs on show, whilst wearing a very low cut top with her lils practically hanging out.

It's depressing how many ignorant fuckers there are out there. the bottom line is that women should do what they like eith their own bodies. however, assuming every mother wants what's best for her child, and with it being almost indisputable that breast milk is the best thing for an infant, then unless you've got a very strong physical or psychological reason which counterbalances this benefit, you're on shaky ground really. As you say- it's not always easy or fun, and teh distress caused can upset both mother and baby, in which case formula is best in that case- however not to even *try* without good reason must surely be wrong.

I was sitting in Stevenage's Westgate shopping centre gazing into space in somewhat of a daydream, when i realised that what my sub-conscious mind considered 'space' was in fact a woman breastfeedng her baby. She tutted audibly and positioned the milkshake menu as a kind of barrier between my (perceived) pervy eyes, and her tits. I like to think it was one of those really gormless staring faces i was doing which she took as a took to purvey great disgust/arousal.

Mine will be fed till 24 months- not exclusively, of course. I'll part-wean at the appropriate time. But they'll still get it for as long as they want it up until 124 months until WHO tells me otherwise. If you position the latch correctly, teeth shuldn't be an issue.

I have a friend - let's call her Jessica - whose little brother was still breastfeeding at 5 years old.
Jessica shudders in complete horror when recounting stories such as once when on a packed bus, Jessica's 5 year old brother barked *Mamma! Tuttar!* (Mum! Tits!) while pointing into his mouth and was duly obliged with a fill up straight from the pap

Many midwives will put a baby on the breast, walk off for half an hour, come back to check up on you, and if it hasn't quite gone to plan, blame the mother for not getting it right. the thing is, the way a baby latches can actually be quite counter-intuitive, and mothers need to be taught the different techniques.

If having tried- under proper guidance- it hasn't worked out, then it is absolutely fine (and if PND is at all suspected, recommended) that you stop trying and FF (which incidentally is a perfectally decent substitue. I don't approve of boots not stocking up to 12 month FF. I think they should instead make their 'statement' by running breast counselling clinics at their mother & baby units.)

I'm sure some people, not all of them, who disagree with public feeding because it is indecent must think that the mothers in question take their tops off fully and have their boobs on full show. From my experiences, anyone I have known to breastfeed in a public space has worn a nursing bra and lifts their top up to just expose the nipple and they then use a blanket or something to be discrete-ish.

As for mothers who don't want to breastfeed, I've also found that they get asked to express it for the first couple of days so that their child gets the initial really good stuff but after that formula is absolutely fine. My mrs did the expressing thing until her milk dried up because our daughter was born early and couldn't feed properly.

So yeah I rambled and didn't really say anything, so breastfeeding is best. Cool. Thanks.